Gaming and pizza at the Libraries

Come blow off some steam, chat about what games you're excited about, and play something new! Join us for "Raiders of the Lost Arcade," an informal drop-in session for gamers of all levels and interests, as we explore video games as a way to encourage experiential learning, storytelling, and empathy building.

This free event will be Wednesday, Nov. 1, 7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. in the Fishbowl Forum at the D. H. Hill Jr. Library. Pizza and laser-cut @ncsugaming keyrings will be provided. We will be playing a curated selection of Playstation and Steam games that explore different forms of survival, including The Last of Us, Dream Daddy, Portal 2, and This War of Mine.

Each of these games includes social justice or queer perspectives in their storylines, while offering a compelling and immersive gameplay experience. We will draw on the narratives of these games to talk about diverse representation, including resisting character tropes and stereotypes about the gaming community. Critical and respectful discussion is encouraged, along with participation from those who are new to exploring video games.

“It’s important for people of all backgrounds to be able to see themselves represented as nuanced characters with complex storylines in digital media and video games,” says organizer Nicky Andrews, an NCSU Libraries Fellow. “It’s exciting to see video game developers and writers create fresh content that resists oppressive tropes and stereotypes around gender roles, body types, and cultural norms.”

“Actively engaging in a game with a thoughtful and immersive narrative can create empathy toward others, and create a much more inclusive and interesting experience that more accurately reflects today's gaming community.”

The NCSU Libraries is proud to participate in International Games Week, an annual celebration of video games and learning held in libraries around the globe.